Persephone (pur-seff-uh-knee) Imperial Pilsner was brewed with one foot in the past and one in the present. We started by creating this beer in the German style, an offshoot of the original pilsner that features German noble hops and a lighter, crisper body than its Czech counterpart. We used a blend of domestic Idaho 2-row barley and imported German malts as well as German Hersbrucker hops for flavor and aroma. We then took a leap forward by making this brew twice the strength of a traditional pilsner (8.76% alcohol by volume), with a big hop flavor to match.

After fermentation using a German lager strain, we conditioned this brew for two months at freezing temperatures. This maturation process is known as lagering (from the German meaning “to store”) and the process lends its name to the broad category of beer known as lager. This long lagering period is essential to create the smooth and well-rounded flavor expected from a pilsner. We present this beer in the German kellerbier tradition, where beer is brought to the consumer without filtration or pasteurization, and recommend serving it at 40 degrees in a traditional pilsner glass.

Persephone Imperial Pilsner pours a pale, glowing yellow with a bright white and frothy head. A light aroma of dried hay lifts from the glass, but the flavor is marked by soft mint flavors with sherbet-like overtones. A strong, resinous bitterness lingers on and on, blending into each new sip and providing a strong backbone for this brew. Persephone features a light body, but softer and rounder than the mass-produced versions of this style.

Reviews by BeerOnTheWall:

Pours bright clear straw color with a nice white head that dissipated quickly. Very nice lacing left on the glass

Nose is a bit too lager-yeast-skunky up front for my preference. Would like to have it cleaner. Faint graininess. Lemon zest tucked away in there is a nice surprise.

Straight forward pilsner malt flavors with citrus on the mid palate and an assertive bitterness that doesn't overpower, but let's you know this is a big, bitter pilsner. The funky yeast is present but more subdued than it was on the nose. Abv says 8.76...if that's the case, this impresses me. Very little detectible heat from the alcohol.

This is full bodied for a pils with plenty of carbonation to keep it feeling light. This straddles the line between ale and lager. Nicely balanced.

Overall, I enjoyed this beer very much. I am a big, hoppy, IPA fan and don't normally find myself saying nice things about lagers. But this one made me happy that I purchased it. It really straddles the line for ale and lager fans alike. Big, bitter, w/ nice body if you like ales. Nice carbonation and lager yeast qualities for you lager fans. I will make it a point to buy this when the 2012 version is released. (1,243 characters)

More User Reviews:

I'm really excited about this one, Imperial Pilsners can be easily screwed up or "interpreted" to such a degree that "pilsner" no longer seems to be a suitable description. But Grand Teton BC has remained so true to style (in essence) in these Cellar Reserve releases, despite the extreme rendering. Poured into a half liter (plus headspace) pilsner glass. Right off the bat, I'm impressed with the appearance--a beautiful deep straw color topped with a massive, frothy, just-shy-of-white head. Great lacing. Slight chill haze. Spot on pilsner aroma, all grain, with the perfect dose of sulfury lager yeast notes, faint suggestions of honey and lemon-zesty hops. Grassy hops and a properly low (but readily apparent) amount of mustiness. Soft. Rounded. A bit minerally. No alcohol detected beyond the expected note from a standard pils (I'm drinking it around 40oF per the brewery's advice.) Packs a nice punch at the first sip, with all the clean, satisfying pilsner notes one expects, but each quality is ramped up. The nose is so clean that it's a bit of a surprise that there's such depth of flavor, and the hop flavor and bitterness are very upfront. The pilsner malt, drawn up to such a level, gives notes of honey that border on watered down mead or T'ej. The alcohol certainly does play a role in the flavor, despite being nearly absent on the nose, and it blends well with the amped up zesty, grassy hops, providing for a nearly minty nip from the combination. There's an undercurrent of cellar mustiness, which works with notes of timothy hay, lemon, and some atypically resinous hoppy flavors and bitterness.

I just read the attached tag that is rubber-banded to the bottleneck, and unlike what I find for many beers, the description is not only detailed, it's spot on. There's a reference to sherbet overtones, and while I wouldn't have made that connection on my own, I completely agree (somewhere between lemon and orange, in my assessment.)

I've found that Grand Teton has a great talent for turning up the volume on standard styles, without spoiling anything in the process. This really tastes like someone took a magnifying glass to a Czech pilsner. Rather than being a new interpretation of the style, it's just a bigger version. In that way, it's the most true-to-style Imperial Pilsner I've ever had. So very nice. What a wonderful beer. Beyond impressed. (2,379 characters)

A very intense brew as the alcohol pushes against the palate with each sip, not hot but very warming. The moderate body and sheer smoothness from the bottle conditioning makes it very easy to sip and with each sip this beer grows on me. This one oozes with greatness. (558 characters)

Thanks to someone for sharing this bottle, I think it may have been thirdeye11.

The beer pours a clear yellow color with a white head. The aroma is full of pilsner malt with some grass and earth from the hops. I also get some sugar notes which makes the beer smell sweeter than I expected.

The flavor is fairly sweet. I get a lot of the basic pilsner malt along with some grass from the hops. The bitterness is fairly low, making the beer sweet. The alcohol is well hidden.

A: hazy amber with 2” white rocky foam head that dissipates to a thick film. S: Rich grainy malt, white bread, spice. T: rich malt with a slight sweetness joined by light fruit with a spicy hop accent of the finish. F: Full body with above average carbonation. O: A big, refreshing pilsner. they should brew this again. (324 characters)

Taste, quite tart for a pilsner, lots of carbonation keeps it uppity, hides the alcohol very well. Reminded me of Trumer Pils, which is a good thing. Above average bitterness for this beer. I think you must like high carbonation, light body and lemon to be into this. I do, so it went well. Probably some saaz or noble hops to this, well done, bigger for the double style, but playing nicely with the faint pale malt(s).

Disappointing aspects would have to be the price ($9-10) and the simplicity of the beer. Straight forward, but I can't fathom why I would buy this again (although I guess I didn't buy this, GreenKrusty did) when I could get a 6 pack of Pilsner Urquell and have a buck or two leftover. (811 characters)

A- The clear yellow body has a snow white head that last while sticking to the glass with each sip. There is a matrix of tiny bubbles popping to the surface. The third and final pour of the bottle is a cloudy mix.

S- The soft dry pils malt has some flour note to it wit a nice smooth green hop finish. As the beer warms there is a field corn and cream note that turns just a bit buttery. The touch of green grapefruit pith comes through at the end aswell.

T- The clean soft pils malt has just a touch of sweetness and a leafy green dry hop finish. There is a soft Noble hop bitterness that lingers a moment. There is a cinnamon kind of heat to the hop spice in the aftertaste.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a soft scrubbing bubble carbonation and no real alcohol heat.

O- The nice green Noble hops are well supported by the pale malt and just a touch of sweetness. It does loose a bit of crispness because of the cream and slight sweetness and the alcohol is well hidden. (1,022 characters)

Aromatics are subtle yet intense, filling the room with the fragrance of white tea, alfalfa, light floral notes, and hints of buttermilk, pear, and pale malt.

Very intense grassy noble hop notes - resinous, floral, and faintly grainy (triticale, oats), reminding me of a feed store. Moderate and increasing bitterness into the mid-palate, growing ever more potent until the finish adds a faint bread crust-esque dry note. The hops linger on in the aftertaste, evolving for a long long time.

Bright, zippy mouthfeel, medium-light bodied...sometimes domestic versions of classic styles take things too far, but this beer simply amplifies and expands everything that is good about a proper fresh Kellerbier. Reviewed to style, it's hard to imagine improving upon the flavor or aroma of this beer (though overall I prefer Boulevard's collaboration with Orval). (1,047 characters)

Poured from 12oz brewery sample bottle received in trade from DCon into pilsner glass.

Aroma: Sour, lemony tartness, some floral noble hop, and sweet pomegranate shows through. This one really develops after sitting for a couple minutes, and sweet strawberry notes eventually show up.

Appearance: One finger white head slowly dissipates. Light golden body with a very slight haze. Nice effervescence, and excellent lacing.

Flavor: A 1-2 punch of bitterness and honey sweetness. Sweetness shows through in the middle, then bitterness shows back up for a long finish. Unfortunately, after a few sips, the sweetness comes across a bit artificial, the fruity flavor is somewhat perfumy, and the bitterness seems a bit out of balance.

Mouthfeel: High, crisp carbonation. Light body

Overall: A very unique brew. Aroma and even appearance are impressive. The flavor profile, though, comes across as a bit artificial, and the bitterness is somewhat smothering. (958 characters)

T: Follows the nose, much soapyness, lemons & grassyness up front. A grainy edge develops as this warms, to go along with some honey sweetness, lemony & soapy hops & a touch of golden delicious apple with a kiss of boozey pears. Finishes crisp & grainy

MF: Chewy, fairly soft carbonation, great balance for the style

Very good take on the style that would be great in a 4 pack format, are you listening Grand Teton??? Could be a touch more hop forward... (643 characters)

Clear, pale golden color with a thin head that settled quickly. The lack of head did not hinder lacing left on the glass as I worked my way to the bottom of the glass.

Hops come through in the aroma with peppery and herbal notes. Malt contributes some cracker like qualities.

Flavor is dry which I look for in a pilsner. The hops are not as big in the flavor as I expected but do give herbal and spice influences. Almost phenolic and medicinal. Alcohol just barely influences the flavor with some warmth in the finish.

More than a typical pilsner in body depth which is what I was expecting. Carbonation is lively but not prickly.

Turns out to be one of the better Imperial Pilsners I have had. A nicely crafted brew. (722 characters)

750 picked up tonight at the COOP ... shared with inflatablechair... Poured into my Delerium snifter.. decent foamy white head... the lacing is there, but short lived... the head drops very quickly.... pretty clear golden brew.

Nose is pale malts with a nice grassy hop note... pretty clean and not much else going on...

Nice bitter balance up front that quickly melts into the pale malt and a minor toasty element... everything is there for a big BLONDE.... it is still very clean... I just don't get a Pilsner .... the malts are heavy and don't jive with the intended product.. sorta thick ... but the carbonation helps jump the brew off the palate....

I am having a harder and harder time with the random style guides .... an "Imperial Pilsner" is tough to make heads or tails.. I like this beer when I sprung for tap pours at Bitter Creek.. but in the bottle, I am having a hard time with the price and the lack of anything interesting...

12 oz sample bottle courtesy of Grand Teton brewery. Pilsner flute seemed appropriate for this review. I understand this should start hitting shelves early February 2011.

As soon as I pour grassy hop notes rush up to greet my nostrils. This is followed by a sweet bread aroma but we'll return to the bouquet in a moment. As I finish the pour the beer develops a massive and dense cap of white foam. Head is about as well retained as they come but when it finally settles some excellent lacing remains. Body is a clean and clear straw color with very fine but active carbonation.

As mentioned before, grassy hop notes are very pronounced on the nose but seem pushed slightly behind the bread like malt sweetness compared to that first whiff. The first sip, however, unloads much more hop bitterness on the palate than the aroma had me prepared for. Seems that German varieties make up the lion's share of the hop profile but they're used in such high amounts that this doesn't really resemble anything one might expect from something billed as a 'Pilsner'. the Imperial Pils style, though, is of course nebulous enough that it works. This beer is about as bitter as it gets, lingering like over steeped tea on the palate long after each sip.

This is another of those burgeoning styles I'm not entirely sold on but I really like this particular offering. I have a feeling Persephone won't be a hit with everyone but to me this beer is another sign this brewery's Barrel Reserve Series is really picking up steam. Second winner in a row after the Trout Hop IPA. (1,561 characters)

grabbed this off the shelf at a local store and opened it up the other night. a decent beer that really turned the style around for me.

Nice notes of white coming over the top of the beer, with a settling down of the head into a subtle side glass profile. Nice carbonation could be seen coming up from the bottom of the glass as well.

The aroma was very light. Nice touches of citrus popping up throughout the profile. A definite touch of alcohol was visible from the very first whiff though, letting me know this one was going to be strong, and settling me back in the chair a bit I have to say. Light grains coming through now as it starts to warm up, the taste was very crisp, clean and transparent. This was definitely not a lager. Clean flavor of lemon, grapefruit, touches of grass as well. A nice base of white grapes almost and a strong grain profile in here. Notes of alcohol hinting in the mid palate as well as a nice bit of warming going on as well in here.

Overall I was very impressed with this. There is a good and a bad way to do this style, and this was definitely firmly in the good side of the spectrum. (1,125 characters)

A - The pour is light gold, a bit cloudy, with some sediment suspended. There's a thick three-finger head that slowly dissipates - lots of lacing left behind. A beautiful looking beer.

S - The aroma is mostly hop-centric, but is well-supported by a malt backbone. The hops smell floral and slightly medicinal, but are not overpowering. In three words, simple and crisp.

T - The hops come on first again, but don't linger long enough to impart any unpleasant or overwhelming bitterness. There's a sugary malt character as well, almost like a scone or a biscuit with honey.

M - This is a surprisingly full-bodied beer, but the high amount of carbonation quickly scrubs it from my mouth after each sip. Chewy, effervescent, and satisfying on a warm summer evening.

Overall - Imperial pilsners are one of my favorite styles, and this is quite possibly the best one I've had to date. I'm not sure how the 3-4 months in my fridge changed this beer, but it certainly didn't hurt it much. (1,023 characters)

Since I don't usually drink pilsner or have a pilsner glass, I poured into a Sam Adams glass. The result was a half inch of frothy foam that soon settled to a thin layer in the center. Lacing is thin, but clings to the glass.

Color is a light yellow straw, very clear with effervescence that continues throughout the drink.

Aroma is weak. A lemon with mint, definite hops.

Flavor is great. Citrus and hops dominate with just enough bitters, which remain on the tongue for a long time. I expected the 8.75% alcohol to overpower the flavor. While noticeable, the alcohol did not dominate. A great touch.

Overall, I will buy more of the pilsner. One of the few that I have enjoyed. (742 characters)

Don't have tons of experience with Imperial Pilsners, but the few I have had I have not been a big fan of.

A - Looks like a nicely carbonated white wine. Little bit of a white head that left behind a nice ring. Little bit of stick on the sides.

S - Smells like white grapes, with some bready sweet malts. Very pleasant, and easy on the nose.

T - Unlike a lot of Imperial Pilsners (or all of them that I've had) this doesn't suffer from the sugar/alcohol burn that many of them do. Tastes like grapes, with sweet pale malts and a slightly bittering finish. This is quite pleasant and easy to get down. Alcohol is well-hidden.

M - Crisp, clean finish, lighter side of medium bodied with good carbonation.

O - Good beer, enjoyed drinking it and found it quite refreshing. (773 characters)

Sampled a year after the brewed on date, it pours a murky golden tangerine orange. The frothy bright white head is quick to form, and fades lazily leaving thick curtains of lace. Good start.

The nose defines complexity; blending sweet, tart, and spicy in a pleasant balanced package. Pithy orange and lemon zest deliver on the hop side of things. Faint notes of yeast, apple cider, and honey add to the awesomeness. All the while, alcohol sneaks nearly undetected in the background.

Although I'm sampling this after when GT recommends, the hops still deliver solid bitterness. Considering it's 70 IBUs; the tangerine and herbal flavors have probably faded a bit, but they still a offer fresh bold presence in the overall character. The balance has not been sacrificed. Spice continues to tickle the cheeks from beginning to finish, while sweet fermented fruit and diacetyl keep things in harmony. A slight grape wine-like finish and a slightly dry finish rounds it out.

This is brutally easy to drink, in fact it's dangerous. Light body, slick feel, mild carbonation.... pace yourself! I would like to try this fresh, yet I found this at the store 10 months past the brew date, and I'm pleasantly surprised. (1,213 characters)